Secretary of State clears seven initiative petititons for circulation

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan has announced that seven initiative petitions to amend the Missouri Constitution have been cleared for circulation for the 2010 ballot. Four of the initiative petitions relate to stem cell research, one pertains to the banning of affirmative action programs, another deals with health carriers, and one involves real estate taxation.

There is a formula for getting constitutional changes on the November, 2010 ballot. Signatures must be collected from registered voters – with the number equal to eight percent of the total votes cast in the 2008 Governor’s election – and those signatures must come from six of the state’s nine congressional districts. Furthermore, they must be submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office by 5 pm on May 2nd.